1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer and television entertainment, and more particularly, to providing companion content on a companion device, where the companion content relates to content being watched on a main display.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the exponential growth of computing and networking, television (TV) viewing has evolved significantly over the years. This evolution has brought a number of technologies that allow users to select programming content and stream content on-demand. Some programming content is pre-set to a schedule by media providers, while other content can be downloaded for instant viewing. Traditionally, media provider companies provide their own devices (i.e., cable, satellite, internet) and deliver access to the various content options based on the user's selected service level.
As more users connect to the internet using broadband connections, many new media providing companies have entered the space. These companies provide applications and sometimes devices, which unlock access to a wide array of media, such as movies, television shows, sports, etc.
Although these new devices provide access to the media, the level of interactivity is still rather static. If interactivity is provided, the interactivity is limited to selection of shows, and other functions found on traditional digital video recorders (DVRs). Thus, although internet access has been widely added to DVR-type devices, the internet is still used generally to obtain programming data, set programming and recordings, and to trigger downloading of on-demand programs.
It is in this context that the embodiments of the invention arise.